Okay for those that don't like posts that bounce back and forth between topics then this post isn't for you.

First thankyou all for the advice on what to do in regards to speech for Lucas. Initally we were going to go ahead and have the assessment and then take it from there, but i couldn't arrange a time that worked out for it, so we ended up defering him for now. His name stays on the wait list and won't probably come up again until he is 4, but i'm totally okay with that. I love his current speech therapist and he gets a one hour session once a week with her, so we are good.

Next, this incarnation of my blog has celebrated its 1st birthday, which really means i've been blogging for 2 years now. When i think back to what happened a year ago, that led to me deleting my first blog, i still have lingering issues and feelings, which totally sucks. For the most part i've put that chapter of my life behind me, and if nothing else i'm a stronger individual because of it.

Continuing on....i need advice again lol. So i wrote in Lucas' speech advice post how I'm really hating the place that Juleigha goes for speech. It makes for a very hectic day, Juleigha has to rush to eat lunch before we go, i hardly see Melyssa & Lucas those days. It takes us 45 min to drive out there and it costs 24.50 a week to drive the highway there and back, as well as 7.00 a week for parking and of course there is the gas too. Honestly though, the expense would be totally worth it for me if Juleigha was benefiting from it, but she isn't. She's uncooperative which has never been an issue for her before. Because its a group setting the goals worked on are more group centered, and extremely difficult for Juleigha to do. Juleigha's issue is an oral-motor problem, she has a weak jaw (it slips when she talks and you can see it in her pictures when she smiles), she can't move her mouth the way she needs to in order to make the sounds of speech. She has great difficulty even having her tongue touch the roof of her mouth, even when sticking her tongue out she can't lift it up. The sounds they have been working on are f's, s's and d's all of which she can't do. The therapist is also trying to get her to say this and that, but as dis and dat...which because she has no d sound is frustring. I don't know, i just don't get a good feeling when i'm there and Juleigha said she doesn't like going which sucks because she's never not wanted to go before. And everything is so slow and so much time wasted. I feel like its more of a preschool class with a touch of speech therapy thrown in. Yesterday they literally spent 15 mins washing their hands and eating crackers.
When i got home yesterday i called up Juleigha's previous speech therapist (who also sees Lucas), to see if it was possible for Juleigha to come back to her. I was told defintely, her file was still open and she could come back with no difficulty. We'd need to do an assessment to see where she was at and to set our goals for the next block of therapy, so we booked that for mid October. After the assessment, she would begin therapy there again in mid november. I got off the phone and was thrilled, i know Juleigha responds well with her and its just a better environment for her to be in. She'll go once a week for an hour one on one, instead of at this other place which is twice a week with two other kids for 1.5 hrs at at time (really only an hour at a time, except for ever third session where its 1.5 hrs).
All of this brings me to my question. What do i do in the meantime? Do we continue on with this place until she starts back up at her previous therapy in mid november? The block of therapy she is in now is supposed to go until the end of november, so we have 12 sessions left i think so 6 weeks, with two weeks off in there somewhere when they move locations. Or do we just stop going and let her have a break until she starts back up here in november? And if we stop, how do i make the phone call letting them know (seriously i'm a wimp when it comes to these things)? The next session is on Tueday and this one for Juleigha will be 1.5 hrs long (she gets the first 30 mins to herself before the other two kids arrive), i don't know if i should just go to that last one so she gets one on one time and then stop going, finish the block out or just drop out now. HELP!! Keep in mind Juleigha has said she doesn't like going, and doesn't want to go anymore, but also is any help for now better then nothing until she resumes therapy at her previous place?

Switching gears again...time for Search Terms that brought you here!!

son's ear pierced - totally for it as long as he wants it
my son wears barrettes - mine doesn't but he sure wants to!!
tim hortons double double weight watchers - those two do not go together lol
true free married nude or naked embarrassing moments - you tell me yours, i'll tell you mine
exhausted four kids - sounds like you are my soul sister
mommy tampon aunt flo blog - um why?
hiccups cpap machine - i've got video of this

A few weeks ago, the delightful Tink awarded me my very first blogger award!! To say i was giddy when I saw I was awarded one would be a HUGE understatement lmao. So now its time for me to share the love and share my award with some other rockin' bloggers that are as the award says, nice.
Mary at Why?
Kim at Gumby World

both of these women are among the niecest I know. SO grab the picture girls and show it proudly on your blogs!!

Okay so i need some advice.

This fall Juleigha finally came up on the waiting list for what was described to me as THE place to be for the type of speech delay she suffers from. We went in for her assessment to make sure she met their criteria, and at the end of the assessment were told that the SLP didn't need to score the assessment at all, Juleigha did that badly. She would be going there for therapy two days a week, for one and a half hours at a time. The sessions would be with two other children, at the same speech level as Juleigha. I was stoked and could not wait for her to start. This place is quite the drive from our house, it takes me at least 45 mins to get there, and requires us to hurry home after school to eat lunch...but again in my mind from everything i've heard totally worth it. Now that Juleigha has actually started her sessions, I'm not feeling the love. First the SLP doesn't seem to listen to Juleigha, and worse when she hasn't understood what she has said, she's pretended to!! That literally makes my blood boil. The other two kids in the session with her, both are older and their speech difficulty seems mainly in the confusing of some sounds whereas Juleigha because of her oral-motor problem can not make the sounds at all. It drives me crazy to listen to the SLP tell Juleigha to make a snake sound or a tapping T sound and well Juleigha doesn't KNOW how...she needs to be shown. Each kid gets the first 20 min of the session to themselves, every third session. Juleigha has her first time to herself this tuesday and i really hope i see something that actually pretains to her troubles. The rest of the session is run like a preschool class. They have a story, do a craft realated to the story and then play a game relating to the story and have snack, all the while working on various sounds. I've told myself that unless i see major progress in Juleigha by the end of the 10 weeks, I will not accept another block of therapy from them, instead going back to our local therapist where J gets an hour of one on one therapy, once a week and its only a 5 minute drive.

Which brings me to the advice that i need. Before Juleigha started here Lucas was also put on the wait list. The wait list is anywhere from 18mos (what J waited) to 2 years. Today i got a phone call from them saying they've started a new program for children aged 3-3.5 yrs. and Lucas name has come up. They want to book him for an assessment and if he meets their criteria, he would start therapy with them come November (j's block of therapy ends the end of November). Lucas therapy would be individual and would be twice a week for only 30 mins. I was told they even have a T/Th session at 1pm, which is also when Juleigha attends. Had i gotten this phone call before Juleigah started, i would have jumped at the chance. Now though, i have doubts. Right now Lucas gets one on one therapy for an hour one day a week at the place that is only a 5 min drive away. I'm not sure that it would be really worth it to change that, especially with the way i am currently feeling about the place.

Hubby thinks i should at least go to the assessment and see what happens from there, i don't know though. Am i letting my feelings over J's therapy cloud my decision too much? I need fresh eyes on the situaution...what would you do?

Dear Mrs. Kindergarten teacher,

My daughters are four years old. When you and I have previously discussed their transportation issues, and have confirmed these details, I'd appreciate it if you as the adult see to it that those details are followed. In other words, do not listen to my four year old children and put them on the bus when you know I am picking them up.

shaking head

Me

My girlies started Kindergarten today. They were so excited. Once they had breakfast and were dressed, they were raring to head out to the bustop. I on the other hand was wishing time to slow down or even better rewind. I took a ton of pictures of the girls before we headed out, they were all full of smiles. We walked to the bustop and they were eager for the bus to arrive. When it did, i had them board last so that they wouldn't get trampled on by the older kids (and so mommy could get a good picture of them boarding the bus). I smiled and waved and wished them well and once the bus pulled away, the tears started to fall. Putting them on that bus was one of the hardest things i've done. I walked home and loaded Lucas up in the car and drove out to the school to make sure the girls got there okay. They were happy and thrilled with having riden the bus. I took a few more pictures of the girls at school and then kissed them one more time before i headed home, where i spent the next two hours worrying about how they were doing. My main worry of course was Juleigha and how she would do. She is so shy, and then add in her speech problem and i worry. I worry a lot. As i was getting Lucas ready to head out to get the girls from the bustop, the phone rang and it was the school. The girls teacher called to let me know the girls had a great day. Juleigha even raised her hand and participated in circle time. This is HUGE, seriously monumental for her. I was so excited to hear this news i didn't even ask if she was able to understand what she said. I was told that the only bad moment to the morning came after she had read a book about coming to Kindergarten to the class, and afterward asked if anyone had made any new friends today. A little girl raised her hand and said she had made a new friend, Melyssa was her friend. This didn't sit well with Juleigha as Melyssa is HER bestfriend, and thus broke out crying. She was okay after a few minutes, but later when i talked to her about it she insists that Melyssa is HER friend and hers only. When i got the girls at the bustop they were grinning ear to ear, i'm so pleased they are so happy with school and hope that they have that joy everyday. For my facebook friends i've put pictures up on my profile. If you aren't on facebook, you should be!! So sign up and add me to your friends.

Next week will be really hard on me. Lucas goes off to preschool three mornings a week. I can not believe i am going to be childfree three mornings a week. When did my babies grow up??!!